"Have I ever told you, you are a beautiful white man, Nick Miller?"

"Yes, Jess, when you were high on painkillers."

They were sitting on the couch in the living room, her fingers brushing lightly over the soft fabric of his t-shirt, her lips curled up in the sweetest smile and her eyes peering at him from under her insanely thick eyelashes in a semi seductive way.

"Well," she sang sweetly, "I'm not high right now, am I?"

"You want something, Jess, don't you?" – Nick asked in a cranky voice, already dreading her answer and starting to feel slightly dizzy at the feel of her fingers moving in lazy circles over his chest.

"It's just… We haven't been on a date in a long time, Nick…"

She traced one finger down his t-shirt in a slow motion. Nick watched her finger moving, hypnotized, until she playfully hooked it inside his belt buckle. The dizziness in his head started spreading rapidly to the other parts of his body.

"So, I'm asking you on a date."

He sighed in relief. He was expecting a lot worse.

"But it's kind of a special date." She continued in a sugary voice and her fingers on his belt made a tiny movement, sneaking a bit deeper into his jeans.

"I volunteered to chaperone the prom at my new school. You're my prom date!"

His whole body froze. That's it, that's the catch. He stared at her blankly, his mind racing, contemplating an escape plan. But the way she was looking at him with those baby blue eyes. He could never say no to those eyes.

"Sounds like fun…"

Did he really just say that?

She clapped her hands in excitement.

"I was afraid you wouldn't agree. This is going to be so much fun – us, together at a prom!"

She couldn't contain her happiness, hugging him passionately, while he was trying to contain a different kind of excitement, his already aroused body reacting to her movements in a very specific way.

Jess tugged slightly at his belt and pursed her lips.

"Your jeans are so tight, Nick," she said, winking at him. "I will have to cut back the supply of those strawberry cupcakes you like."

Cupcakes had nothing to do with the tightness of his jeans, he wanted to tell her, but his tongue was stuck to his throat.

"We are going tomorrow. Wear a suit!"

She gave him a peck on the cheek:

"And now I'm going dress shopping with CeCe. I need to wear something fancy. See ya!"

With that she took off, leaving a cold void where her warm body was just a second ago and lots of sadness in his lower belly.

N&J

What the hell did he get himself into?

They were standing at the entrance of the ballroom greeting the kids. Jess was beaming her shining smile in every direction, lighting up the entire hallway, her right arm entwined with his left arm, her hand squeezing his hand lightly in support. She seemed so natural at this, enjoying every moment of this torture, genuinely greeting every single person coming her way. Him? He was a drowning man clutching at straws, hating everyone, struggling to suppress his turtle face, sweating like a pig and regretting the very moment he was born.

Back at home he found a blog on the internet, something about "how to be a good chaperone". He knew she wanted him to at least try. So he read through all of it, cursing at every word and starting to think he was about to enter the gates of Hell.

He remembered some of the tips, he found on the blog…

"Put a smile on your face. Greet the prom guests. You are not a guard dog; you are a chaperone whose job responsibilities include hosting. Hosts generally smile."

Well, right now the only thing he really wanted is to kill himself. So that grimace that was currently ironed onto his face was going to pass for a smile.

"Mingle. Go around to different tables and see how the guests are doing. Are they having a good time?"

The only reason he would mingle is to find the object to kill himself with.

"If someone is dancing inappropriately, firmly walk out into the dance floor and tap them on the shoulder or back. Have them follow you off the dance floor and follow school procedure. Do not yell. After this instance is taken care of, put the smile back on your face for the rest of the guests."

Inappropriate dancing? Far beyond his expertise. He couldn't tell dancing from a seizure. Firmly walk into the dance floor? Do not yell? Have them follow you? What was he? A robot policeman? Member of a freaking vice squad?

"If a teen or group of teens appears intoxicated or high, politely ask them into a hallway, away from the other guests, and follow school procedure. Do not yell. After this instance is taken care of, put the smile back on your face for the rest of the guests."

Put the smile back on your face? What was that – an annual clown convention?

He was snapped out of his thoughts by a pleasant male voice, chattering somewhere in close proximity. The said pleasant voice seemed to be around longer than necessary. Nick focused his attention on a man who stood next to Jess engaged in lively conversation with her. He was tall and smiley and looked like a male model.

"Hey Nick!" Jess tapped him on the shoulder. "This is Jeffrey – he is a history teacher and a good friend of mine. He was very supportive during my first months here. I owe him a lot. This is Nick – my boyfriend," she added proudly, placing her hand firmly on his shoulder.

Nick broke out in a cold sweat at the mere thought of Jess owing anything to the male model history teacher named Jeffrey. All he wanted was to wipe the smile off of his handsome face with a good left hook. His hand literally itched to do that. Awkward silence fell between them, itching in his hand intensifying.

"Jess is a great teacher and wonderful person," said Jeffrey, shamelessly ogling his girlfriend, "She is loved by everyone."

Last words were followed by an affectionate smile, which Jess happily returned.

As Nick watched them exchanging smiles, his brain went blank and blood rushed to his face. His hands formed two large fists and he looked Jeffrey up and down in a manner that made the latter take an involuntary step back. Nick could be really scary when he wanted to.

Jess sensed the tension growing, and smiled apologetically, forcefully dragging Nick away into the dance floor.

"What was that about?" - She whisper-screamed at Nick, when they got far enough from Jeffrey. "You were threatening him! Are you trying to embarrass me in front of my colleagues, are you out of your damn mind?"

"I just wanted to punch him in the face." Nick murmured, "His face… I didn't like it. At all. He was ogling you, Jess. That son of a b…"

"It's called being nice, Nick!" Jess yelled desperately throwing her hands in the air. "A notion you clearly are unable to grasp!"

"What you are unable to grasp, Jess, is that he is being nice, because he wants to sleep with you!" He snapped, regretting it immediately, as her eyes filled with hurt.

"Of course," her face darkened. "People are the worst, bla, bla, bla. I thought you'd changed, Nick," she said, her voice oozing disappointment. "But I was wrong. I don't know why I'm still trying, hoping. It's been a year, but nothing changed, Nick. I'm so tired."

She pursed her lips tightly and shook her head.

"I need some air."

She turned around and disappeared in (into) the moving crowd on the dance floor.

"Jess!" He called after her, but she was already gone.

He hung his head in defeat and rubbed his forehead. The worst thing has just happened, and he was not even surprised, as if he was expecting it to happen. He looked at the couples dancing on the dance floor, spotting the particular passionate one. They were kissing and grinding into each other as if it was their last day on freaking earth.

"She is going to leave you one day, man. Break your heart and stomp on it. Run, before it's too late." He murmured loud enough for them to hear.

The couple stopped their passionate dance and stared in shock at the strange man passing them by.

"Chaperone duties," Nick mumbled and went on.

Heading to the darkest corner of the ballroom, where he was going to hide for the rest of the night, he spotted a group of teenagers, having an argument, clearly initiating a fight. He headed in their direction and grabbed one of the teenagers by the hand, pulling him out of the group. Others froze, looking at him in surprise.

"As chaperone, I have to ask you politely to stop whatever you are doing, and continue to enjoy the party, but I'm not in the mood, so you better get lost right now, before I change my mind and sucker punched you in your pretty faces."

Frightened, they ran off in different directions. One of the teenagers bumped into him on the way, and a shiny object fell out of his suit. Nick bent to pick it up and his eyes widened in surprise when the object turned out to be a flask of liquid, with a prominent smell of whiskey.

"I will keep it, young man," Nick said, placing the flask in his pocket. "You are not allowed to drink at the prom, and actually, don't ever drink, because alcohol is not good for you, you can trust Nick Miller on that."

He waved his hand into the crowd, dismissing the kid, who retreated quickly, not even trying to protest.

That's when he saw her - his girlfriend, in the opposite corner of the room enjoying the company of the handsome history teacher. His heart fell. He knew it; he knew that one day he would lose her to one of these guys - the perfect guys, with jobs and good looks, who knew how to be nice and make a girl happy. He wasn't one of them and he didn't deserve her.

He felt an object pulling at his pocket and took out the forgotten flask of whiskey. It smelled like heartbreak and regret, exactly how he felt at the moment. Without further ado, he took a gulp of the burning liquid, familiar warmth washing over his body, as tingly liquid made its way down his throat. It felt good, liberating. He took another swig. And another one.

Throwing away an empty flask, Nick stood up, swaying slightly as he entered the crowd on the dance floor.

He was a man on a mission.

"Hey, Blondie, is this a dress or a belt?"

"Hey, man, are you dancing or are you trying to get your girl pregnant?"

"Shake this ass, Red Lips, your virginity is not going to lose itself!"

"Life sucks, man, whoever told you otherwise, was either lying or is my girlfriend Jessica Day. Tell her I said hi!"

"Enjoy this night, Pretty Face, from here it only gets worse."

"Hide your booze and weed! A middle school dance rule—three feet on the floor, no body hugs! I am Nick Miller, and I'm going to chaperone the hell out of this prom!"

"Anybody seen a photo booth?"

N&J

Nick opened his eyes, pounding pain in his head making his face flinch as he looked around, recognizing his own room. He was lying on his bed, in his t-shirt, and he didn't remember how he got here or where he got here from. In fact, his memory was completely blank.

He saw a figure near his bed and was surprised to find Jess sitting next to him. Pieces of the puzzle started to come together in his head, and the reality of what happened last night hit him hard.

"Hey Jess," he murmured, full of shame, fully expecting her to slap him in the face and leave him to never come back.

"Hey Nick," she answered, a warm smile graced her features, "Do you want some water? A pill, maybe - for the headache?"

"Water, please."

He drank the water, waiting for her to announce his verdict.

"Feeling better?" She asked instead.

"Better, thanks to you. I'm so sorry Jess, was yesterday a total disaster? I don't remember much."

"It was terrible, Nick, you were at your worst." Jess said with a smile.

"What did I do, did I hurt anyone?" He was genuinely scared and upset.

"Well, you started off threatening my colleague. Then you went on, threatening a bunch of teenagers and stealing a flask of whiskey from them. Then you drank the said whiskey and got wasted. You walked around, insulting people and you actually made a couple of girls cry. You are banned from my school and any chaperone job for the rest of your life. These kids will definitely remember their prom." She concluded.

Nick squinted and covered his face in embarrassment.

"Are you here to break up with me, Jess?" He asked in a defeated voice.

"Well, that depends..."

"Depends on what?"

"Well, I didn't tell you everything that happened that night."

"There is more?"

"Yes, the best part."

N&J

Jess was standing in one of the dark corners of the ballroom, joined by Jeffrey, looking around for any sign of Nick, starting to realize that maybe he was right about the history teacher after all.

Jeffrey was coming at her pretty hard. Every now and then his hand would brush over her thigh or her arm ever so slightly, in a subtle way, that seemed pretty innocent, but wasn't. She tried to avoid body contact, but he kept moving closer.

"Let's dance Jess," he finally proposed in a husky whisper. "I will make you forget your asshole boyfriend."

Jess eyes widened in shock.

"What have you just said?" She asked, feeling her blood pressure rising.

"Let's dance, Jess."

"No, what did you say about my boyfriend?"

"He is an asshole, Jess. A nobody. You deserve better."

No one was allowed to speak that way about her friends. And Nick was and always will be her friend.

"You don't know the first thing about Nick, so, please apologize for saying those hurtful words and we will move on." Jess said sternly.

"Apologize?"

Jeffrey smirked sarcastically and his eyes darkened.

"How is that for apology?"

He grabbed her by her wrists, pushing his body into hers, and forcefully covered her lips with his mouth.

Taken by surprise, Jess stood there, frozen, letting him assault her mouth.

But only for a second – coming to her senses and pushed him away, her small fist connecting with his jaw with unexpected force.

He cried in pain and sprang back.

"Oh my God, you broke my jaw!"

Her body was boiling with rage, and she was on the verge of breaking his nose too. Luckily for Jeffrey, she was snapped out of her violent spree, by a familiar voice that was coming from the stage in the middle of the ballroom. She looked up and saw Nick, in his white half unbuttoned shirt, loosened tie hanging from the side of his neck, standing on the stage, swaying from side to side, and clutching the microphone in his shaky hands.

"Hello!" he cried into the microphone and waved his free hand at the crowd. "Hello, youth!"

He was totally wasted - Jess could tell by his voice and his messy appearance. She wondered where he got the booze. Somehow Nick and alcohol could always find each other. At least one relationship was a constant in Nick Miller's life, Jess thought, smiling bitterly.

Everyone on the dance floor stopped moving and was now staring at Nick in silence.

"Great party, my young friends! Great party! I am a bartender – I can tell."

Nick made a thumb-up sign with his hand.

"Do not screw up, my friends!" He went on. "Take a good look at me."

Nick pointed at himself.

"What you see here is the result of 30 years of poor choices. Don't make them, kids! Don't end up like me. Don't drink. It's bad for you. Don't do drugs. Don't ever quit! And most importantly, don't hide your true feelings. It's never a good thing. You'll end up an angry old man like yours truly."

His voice trailed off as he got emotional.

"I met a girl," his voice broke. "She was special, and I fell in love with her the moment I saw her. But I never told her. Even though I wanted to - very badly. I wanted to let her know. But I was stupid, and I never told her, even when she asked me to. I was scared, she'd find out how much I loved her and run, like others did, and I would never see her again."

He stayed silent for a moment, and Jess let out the breath she didn't know she was holding.

"I think I lost her today." - he said, sadness in his voice tearing her heart apart.

Silence settled over the dance floor, teenage girls were wiping tears, and all Jess wanted is to run and hug him and never let him go.

"It might be too late for me to fix things, but you are young, don't be stupid, as I was. Tell your girl you love her."

At that moment two men came up the stage and grabbed Nick, dragging him off the stage and out in the hallway to the sounds of booing of a teenage crowd deeply touched by Nick's confessions.

Tears were streaming down Jess's cheeks, happy smile stretching her lips. Wiping her wet cheeks with her hands she hurried out of the ballroom.

N&J

"You broke his jaw?"

Jess chuckled bitterly.

"Not my proudest moment."

"He had it coming, Jess, I would've done it myself, but instead I was making a fool of myself on the freaking stage."

He hanged his head and sighed heavily.

"Nick, I know you were drunk. But the way you talked, and the things you said there…"

"Jess..."

"I want you to tell me if it was real?" Jess pleaded, her eyes burning with anticipation. "Or was it just alcohol talking? I want you to tell me right now. Did you mean what you said there, Nick?"

He just looked at her and no words came out of his mouth. The hope in her eyes subsided slowly, as silence kept hanging in the room.

Her eyes filled with tears and she stood up from the chair.

"I'm sorry, Nick, but I can't do this anymore."

She started walking to the door.

"I meant every word."

She turned around to find him standing right in front of her, his eyes shiny from unshed tears.

He swallowed nervously.

"The thing is that I love you too much, Jess. Sometimes when I wake up and you are not here, I have a panic attack, because I'm afraid I will never see you again. I will not survive you leaving me Jess, and that is the truth. You wanted the truth, right?"

His confession had them both speechless and they stood in silence without breaking eye contact for an undetermined period of time.

Jess was the one to break the spell.

"Calm down, Miller," she said. "You are not going to take it from me. No way."

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. She approached him, poking a finger into his chest.

"I'm the one who always loves more. And that's a fact."

Nick chuckled.

"Challenge accepted."

"You are going to lose, Nick Miller." She said matter-of-factly. "Just think about it – after all the stupid things you've done, I'm still here with you. Would you stay with someone like you, Nick?"

Nick made a turtle face and shook his head wildly.

"No way. Someone like me? Bleh!" He shuddered in disgust. "You must really love me, Jess."

"Shut up, Miller."

"Come here, Day."

The END